Her Majesty
The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, drive down The Mall in Queen
Victoria's 1842 ivory-mounted phaeton drawn by a pair of matched
Windsor Grey horses, so named from Victorian times when grey
horses were used for drawing private carriages at Windsor. The
Postillion is dressed in full State Postillion Livery.

The Queen's ceremonial
horses are kept at the Royal Mews, where there are currently about
30 horses. The carriage horses draw The Queen's carriages and
coaches in State processions and on ceremonial occasions
throughout the year. Many of the carriage horses, in addition to
their ceremonial duties, have represented Great Britain in
national and international carriage driving competitions (in
which The Duke of Edinburgh has competed since 1973).

The Queen last rode a
horse on a ceremonial occasion at Trooping the Colour in 1986;
the horse was a black mare named Burmese, given to The Queen by
the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which The Queen rode for
Trooping the Colour from 1969 until the mare's retirement in
1986.

The Sovereign's Escort,
consisting of the mounted troops of the Household Cavalry Mounted
Regiment and the Mounted Bands, accompany Her Majesty.

The crowd stand in respect
as the Queen crosses the parade ground.

The Royal Colonels, who
are mounted following the Queen, salute the colour as they pass.
The Queen arrives at the dais at exactly 11 o'clock. The Guards
present arms whilst the Massed Bands play the National Anthem.

.

There now follows the
'Inspection of the Line' whilst the Massed Bands of the Household
Division play patriotic airs from around Britain. The Queen
remounts the Phaeton, led by the 'Brigade Major' and followed by
the mounted Royal Colonels: HRH The Princess Royal, Gold Stick in
Waiting and Colonel of the Blues and Royals; HRH The Duke of
Kent, Colonel of the Scots Guards; HRH The Prince of Wales,
Colonel of the Welsh Guards and HRH Prince William of Wales,
Colonel of the Irish Guards.

In procession with Her
Majesty are also the Master of the Horse, The Crown Equerry, The
Equerries in Waiting and The General Officer Commanding London
District. The carriage turns before No. 6 Guard to the left of
the line. The coachman acknowledges the Colour and the Royal
Colonels salute.

Now, The Royal Colonels
pass behind No. 6 Guard as Her Majesty makes her way towards the
massed mounted bands, the Sovereigns Escort of the Household
Cavalry and the Kings Troop, Royal Horse Artillery.

The Queen arrives back at
the dais and takes her place for the rest of the ceremony.